Improvement in sewing-machines



J. C. SMITH.

Sewing Machine.

No. 34,988. I Patented- April 15, 1862.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN 0. SMITH, OF TROY, NEWYORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN SEWING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 34,988, dated April 15, 1862.

To all whom it sin-2;; a:

Be it known that I, J OHN 0. SMITH, of Troy, in the county of Rensselaer and State of New York have invented certain .new and useful Improvements in Sewing-Machines; andI do hereby declare that the following is'a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings and letters of reference marked thereon, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 represents aside elevation of the machine; Fig. 2, a front elevation, part of Fig. 2 beinga transverse sectional viewtaken at the line as w of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a top view of the mechanism arranged below the sewing plate, the plate being removed in the drawings.

Fig. 4 is a perspective enlarged view of the mechanism arranged and situated directly under the sewing-plate and detached from the or gripping above or. below on the surfaces of I theJcloth fed tothe stitch. The above result is-attaiuedjby suitablecombinations of mechanieal devices, arranged andoperating substantially in'ithe manner as hereinafter fully described; p

EIHDICIGI teenable others skilled'in the art of constructing sewing-machines reconstruct and use myimp'rQved machine, I'will describe the same as follows: I

-is the bed-platept the machinm B, the arm or standardsustaining therieedleidrivi machihery,. the construction andanrangem'ent of which are fully shown. in' Fig.1.

-.E' is the needle-thread spool; D, a tension spring-on the spool. H

"K is the foot or. pad for stripping the cloth n 1 closed during part of their operation by'aspring, y,and are prohided with shoulders z z. w is a fixed pin'or tr; per, upon which the back end of the under uger rides as the fingqr;

fromthe needle, a'p'ressure on the foot being given by thespring N on lever M, L is the needle-bar, holding needle j. The

needle-bar is connected with the segment-Thy link J, by means of which a reciprocating rightline motion is given to it. P is'a vibrating arm. Through an'ey e at th lower end passes the needle-thread. This arm is vibrated toslack the needle-thread to form the loop by means of the link a having a stud, e, onits lower-side and a slot in its upper end, in which works a pin attached to thearm P. This pin bears upon a spring,-i'. The. slack is made by a pin, 1, in segment las the segment turns, striking onthe stud a and;=pressing it dowm The returnfiot' the slack is made by the action of thespring i'upon thepin in the arm P. (See Figs. 1 and 2.) G is thelfs'ewing-plate. S is a bar having aslot, m, at itse ndJhnough' which operates the needle andthreads of the machine. This bar has given that a reciprocating right-1 i ne motion upon sortable bearings, and this motion may he graduated to.

suit the length of stitch required by means of the graduating-screw a, working into the sad dle m, supporting said bar.

The saddle is held on its bed by means of a guide-pin working in a slot .in the bed. For giving a reciprocating motion to the bar S there is attached to the under side of the. bar an arm, T, with a slot in its end. Afl'ixed to the upperend of a spindle passing through the saddle is 'an arm, U, having a pin at its; end in the slot of arm T. At the lower end of this spindle is afiixedan arm, 1). (Shown by dotted lines iuFig. 3.)

Q is a cross-head working upon guides-Y Y, attached to the frame Z. A reciprocating motion is given to this cross-head by means ot-- the rod E. Connected with the driving part of the machine, afiixed to the cross-head, is the cam-block r, which, at about half-point of the. upstroke of the cross-head, strikes the end of arm 12, thereby giving afeed motion to-the bar S, which bar, acting upon the sewing-threads, causes the threads to give the cloth the-requisite amount pftfeed for the succeeding stitch. After the arm 1? is released from the cam r on the back stroke of the cross-head the spring s, acting upon the arin'U, moves the feed-bar back for the succeeding stitch to be made.

Q- Attached to the side-of the cross-head Qis the pair of fingers It. These fingers ar'kept' points approach the stirrup r, so as to open or spread the same.

V is a stationary case allixed to the frame A. Bolton to this case is the hook-shaped stirrup v, having a stirrup-hole near its point for holding the pointor toe of the spool-box B, which lies in the stationary case.

W is the spool or bobbin carrying the under thread of the stitch, and running on a center pin or spindle in the box, kept in place by a latch, d.

t is an eccentric-headed screw having its bearing in the spool-box.

u is a spring secured to the box,the acting end of this spring operating upon the eccentric side of the screw-head, the thread from the spool passingofl' between the head and spring. The tension on the thread is regulated by turning the eccentric head either on or off the spring, as wanted.

The operation is as follows: Fig. 3 represents the position of the mechanism at the end of the downstroke of the needle and the commencement of .he upstroke. The loop of the needle-' threat oeingformed thefingersR advance, take the loop on its shoulders .c', carry it to the toe ofthe spool-box, the points of the fingers meantime opening, so that the loop, striking the'toepoint, slips between it and the stirrup and over or around the toe, the stir up, by holding the point, efiectually preventing the. loop from slipping off the toe, thereby securing its passage around the spool-box, so as to complete with the under thread the stitch simultaneously withtaking up the loop, drawing the stitch, and delivering the loop over the toe of the spool-box. A feed motion is given to the feed bar S by means of the cam r striking arm 1), connected with other arrangements, as before described for the purpose. This i'ccd-har, ace ing on the sewing-threads at the moment of tightening the stitch, enables the threads to move or feed the cloth without any direct aid and contact on the surfaces of the cloth by feeding plates or surfaces or toothed racks. in order to feed with advantage anciaccuracy, it will be seen that the tightening or drawing of the stitch and the feed motion must occur together.

In the description as above i lay no claim to feeding cloth to the stitch by means of one or more moving surfaces or similar devices coming directly and positively in contact on the surfaces of the .cloth fed and with sntlicient frictional adhesion to move the cloth.- Such devices accomplish the act of feeding without the aid of'the threads used in sewing the cloth also, I lay no exclusive claim to an eye-pointed needle and a vibrating needle-hm carrying the same, and no exclusive claim to ashuttle and sewing-plate, or to an elastic foot or pad; and, further, I make no claim to feeding the cloth along by means of the thread, when the cloth so fed has its surface in positive or direct contact on or with any portion of a moving feeding-plate acting on or push ing against the thread; but I claim- The fingers R, stirrup v, spool box ll, and spool W, in combination with feed-bar S, arms 1 ii p, cam 1' on cross-head needlef, and sewing-plate (3, arranged in the manner and operating for the purposes as herein t'ully described and shown.

JOHN (3. SMITH. Witnesses:

JOHN MORAN, E. F. MURRAY. 

